Fluid lift pump



A. D. MURPHREE FLUID LIFT PUMP Filed June 11, 193e Vlarch 1, 1938.

Patented Mar. l, 1938 UNITED STATES FLUHD Pm AlexanderI D. Murphree, Humble, Tex., assigner of one-half to M. Manning, Harris County, Tex.

Application June 1,1, i936, Serial No. 84,619

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a uid lift pump, and

has particular relation to that type of pump which is adapted to operate in a well, such as an oil well, and to utilize an operating fluid such as air or gas under pressure to expel the well liquid from the well.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pump of the character described embodying a tubing which is extended down through the well casing and is provided with a seal between said tubing and casing whereby the operating iiuid will be excluded from the producing stratum with upwardly opening valves controlling the inow of liquid into the tubingand said tubing being provided with a port into the casing between the valves and above said seal whereby the liquid to be pumped may rise in the casing outside of said tubing to the normal liquid level, said pump also including a pressure line for the operating fluid located within the tubing and equipped with spaced ejector valve mechanisms for controlling the application of the operating uid at different levels to the liquid being expelled through the tubing.

The invention also comprehends a novel type of ejector valve mechanism incorporated into the pressure line for the operating fluid.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation, and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein: A

Figure 1 shows a vertical sectional view of the upper end of the pump.

Figure 2 shows a vertical sectional view of th lower end thereof.

Figure 3 shows a sectional view of the ejector valve taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 4.

Figure. 4 shows an enlarged vertical sectional view of an ejector valve mechanism and Figure 5 shows a side elevation partly in section of the pump.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral I designates a well casing to the upper end of which casing head 2 is attached the said casing head having the usual outow line 3 for the relief of gas or liquid from the casing. The outow line 3 may be controlled by the conventional valve not shown.

Beneath the casing and extended down into the producing formation there is a tubular liner A, usually formed into a screen through which the inowing liquid may pass. Between the upper end of the liner and the lower end of the casing there is a suitable packer as 6 to form a uid tight joint.

Within the casing is theltubing 1 which extends up through and above the casing head, and fitted closely around the tubing and secured on the casing head there is a suitable gland as 3. Be tween the tubing and the upper end of the liner 4 there is an annular packer 9l forming a fluid tight joint between them and beneath said packer the tubing is reduced and extended downlinto the said screen and is provided with a Valve seat I0 whereon is located the upwardly opening standing valve Il which permits the inflow of liquid upwardly through the tubing but preventsthe back ow of the liquid. Above the packer 9 the tubing has the ports I2 leading into the casing and above said ports is provided with a back pres- Sure valve seat I3 which is controlled by the upwardly opening back pressure valve I4.

Above the gland 8, the tubing is provided with a discharge pipe I5 and the upper end of the tubing is closed by the closure cap I6 which contains a stuffing box Il through which the line I8 is closely fitted and said line. extends down into the tubing the required distance. Fastened on to the lower end of the line I8 is an enlarged nozzle I9 having the upwardly directedv nozzle openings 20.

In corporated into the line I8 at spaced intervals therealong are ejector valve mechanisms indicated generally by the numeral 2l. Each ejector valve mechanism embodies an outer housing 22, whose upper and lower ends are reduced and outwardly threaded for connection to adjacent sections of the line I8. Fitted downwardly through each housing 2l are the tubular valve casings 23, 23 which are preferably screwed into said housing and the lower ends of these casings are equipped with the annular valve seats A24| which are screwed into said valve casings. Leading out laterally from the axial -passageway 25 through each housing 22 are the ducts 26, 26 which lead on through said seats 24 and the seats 24 are controlled by the upwardly opening Valves adjusted to regulate the compression of the spring 3| and may be locked in adjusted position by means of a lock nut 32 screwed thereon. Above each shoulder the corresponding guide has the inlet opening 33 and the operating uid passes through the passageway 25, the ducts 26, past the valves 21 up through the casings 23 and then in through the openings 33 and on up through the guides 2S into the liquid in the tubing 1 above. The compression of the springs 3| should be so regulated that those of any particular ejector valve mechanism will have a slightly greater compression or resistance against the valves 21 than those of the next ejector valve mechanism beneath.

In operation, the pump may be located in the well at such depth that the upper ejector valve mechanism will be submerged. The well liquid entering through the standing valve will pass upwardly both into the tubing 1 as well as into the casing I and will reach a common level in the tubing and casing. It is to be noted that the outside diameter of the housing 22 is substantially the same as the inside diameter of the tubing 1 so that the housing will t closely in the tubing, said housing'having the external vertical channels 22a. through which the liquid will pass freely up through the tubing 1 past the housing. An operating iiuid such as air or gas under pressure is now forced downwardly through the line |8 and it will operate to lift the valves 21 of the upper ejector Valve mechanism first for the reason that these valves sustain a less load of the liquid column than the valves of the ejector valve mechanisms beneath. The column of liquid above the upperejector valve will be set in motion upwardly through the tubing 1 above by the operating uid, relieving the valves 21 of the load of said column of liquid and also relieving the valves 21 of the ejector valve mechanism beneath of a similar load whereupon these last mentioned valves 21 will open and the springs 3| will close the valves 21 above to the end that the ejector valve mechanisms will be. opened from above downwardly, and the upward movement of the column of liquid continued.

Thereafter, under normal operating conditions, when th-e lower ejector valve mechanism is set in operation it will thereafter continue to operate during the normal operation ofthe pump, the valves above remaining closed.

As the liquid is ejected from the discharge line I5, the pressure on the column of liquid in the casing I will be correspondingly relieved and this liquid will ow back through the ports I2 into the tubing 1 and up through the valve I4 and at the same time additional liquid will flow in from the producing stratum through the standing valve |I up into the casing I to take the place of tha relieved from the casing.

Excess pressure of the operating liquid passing downwardly through the line I8 not required to operate the valves 21 will pass on down and will be ejected outwardly and upwardly into the columnf of liquid in the tubing 1 through the nozzle openings 2|) and the operating fluid ejected through the openings 2| may be sumcient to continue the upward movement of the column of liquid moving upwardlythrough the tubing 1, the valves 21 above remaining closed.

The drawing and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention by way of illustration only, while the broad principle of the invention will be deined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A fluid lift pump comprising a well casing, a tubing therein extended beneath the casing, means adjacent the lower end of the casingl for forming a seal between the casing and tubing, the tubing having a port leading into the casing above the seal, an inlet valve beneath the port for controlling the inflow of liquid into the tubing, a line extended into the tubing for the conduct of an operating iluid, under pressure, and ejector valves incorporated into said line at diierent levels whereby the operating fluid may be discharged into the liquid, in the tubing, to discharge said liquid.

2. A fluid lift pump comprising a well casing, a tubing therein extended beneath the casing, upper and lower seals between the tubing and the casing, the tubing having a port leading into the casing above the lower seal, an upwardly opening inlet valve above the port for controlling the inflow of liquid into the tubing, a line extended into the tubing for the conduct of an operating fluid under pressure, ejector valves incorporated into the line at different levels whereby the operating iiuid may be discharged into theliquid in the tubing to discharge said liquid.

3. A iiuid lift pump comprising a well casing, a tubing therein extended beneath the casing, upper and lower seals between the tubing and the casing, the tubing having a port leading into the casing above the lower seal, an upwardly opening inlet valve above the port for controlling the inflow of liquid into the tubing, a line extended into the tubing .for the conduct of an operating fluid under pressure, ejector valves incorporated into the line at different levels whereby the operating fluid may be discharged into the liquid in the tubing to discharge said liquid, and an outilow line leading from the tubing above the upper seal.

4. A fluid lift pump comprising a well casing, a tubing therein extended beneath the casing, upper and lov/er seals between the tubing and casing, the tubing having a port leading into the casing above the lower seal, an upwardly opening inlet valve in the tubing above said port,an upwardly opening inlet Valve in the tubing beneath said port, a line for the conduct of an operating fluid under pressure extended into the tubing, ejector valves incorporated into said line at `different levels through which the operating fluid may be discharged into the liquid in the tubing.

. 5. A fluid lift pump comprising a well casing, a tubing therein extended beneath the casing, upper and lower seals between the tubing and casing, the tubing having a port leading into the casing above the lower seal, an upwardly opening inlet valve in the tubing above said port, an upwardly opening inlet valve in the tubing beneath said port, a line for the conduct of an operating fluid under pressure extended into the tubing, ejector valves incorporated into said line at different levels through which the operating fluid maybe discharged into the liquid in the tubing, and a nozzle having a discharge `port on the line beneath the lowermost ejector valve.

6. A fluid lift pump comprising a pipe in a well, a tubing therein, upper and lower seals between the pipe and tubing adjacent the upper and lower ends respectivelynLthe pipe, said tubing having a port im into thepipe above the lower seal and having a dischargecutlet above the upper seal, inlet valves for controlling the inow of liquid into the tubing, one of said valves being located above and the other beneath said port, a

2,109,705 Vline extended into the tubing for the conduct of an operating fluid under pressure, ejector valve mechanisms incorporated into said line at dierent levels whereby operating iluid may be discharged into the liquid in the tubing, each ejector valve mechanism including a valve and a yieldable member for normally holding' the valve closed, the yieldable member of each valve mecha.- msm exerting a greater pressure against the corresponding valve than that of the ejector valve mechanism beneath.

7. In a iluid lift pump, an elector valve mechanism comprising a housing having a passageway therethrough, a valve casing therein having a seat, a valve on said seat, a tubular guide in the casing, a yieldable member between the guide and valve normally holding the valve closed, said housing having a duct leading from said passageway through said seat and continuing through the casing and guide. 

